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And then, knowing that ere about to face one of the hardest tasks of our lives, I pushed her back by the shoulders and stared into her face "Can you do this? Can you even watch us do this? We must stake her--destroy her"

Heather, Rhiannon’s iven her life so that Peyton could live Myst had drunk her down and turned her into a va her ical powers, Heather had fallen under Myst’s spell and noorked for her And she aiting for us

Rhiannon steeled herself, her red hair vivid against her pale skin "I am ready We’ll do e must I don’t want her to live like this any me to release her if she weren’t bewitched"

Chatter stepped forward then, and he took Rhiannon’s hands As atched, he brushed her hair back froazes locked, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers She wrapped her ar her deeply I caught ht for Grieve’s hand We turned away fro them what privacy we could, until Rhiannon cleared her throat

Chatter stepped back, his gaze never leaving Rhiannon’s "You kno I feel, Miss Rhiannon You have to kno I feel"

She nodded, blushing, whispering, "Please, Chatter…call me Rhiannon I am not your better I would never think of myself as such"

He smiled, then said, "I like to think you feel the saain, whispering, "I do I have since…I can remember"

"Then I promise you this: Whatever needs to be done, I will do my best to help you do And I--and your cousin--will be here for you afterward You need never be alone again, Rhiannon"

And with that, we fell back into h the woods the rest of the way Heather was out there, and because we loved her, ere going to kill her

Chapter 10

As we plowed through the snow, visions of Aunt Heather rushed through my mind She’d always been the one to corown impatient with my tears Until I was six, Heather and Rhiannon and the Veil House had been the stabilizing force in edon the steps as she pulledbecause I knew--absolutely knew--that once we climbed in that car and drove away, my life would dive into a pit of fear and uncertainty

And I’d been right

Phone calls and the occasional visit hoiven me hope But Myst had stripped all of that ahen she captured Heather We would not be facingher forhts

We crept past rock and trunk, through the snow, keeping low in the overgrowth, the crisp scent of ozone fros I was cold and wet and hs The only place I felt truly dry was inside my boots and beneath --the opening to the path we’d been headed toward

Peering out between the branches I could see Heather standing there, in a gossah with threads of shi red hair blowing in the wind Her lips were red as berries, and her eyes glowed black with the obsidian of the vaently in the breeze, her long sleeves fluttering as if light fingers werethem

Rhiannon crept up next to me She stared at herher lips could not Aching loss, loneliness, the pain of watching a loved one who has slipped into the shadows--it was all there, flooding her face Mutely, she looked at me I reached out, slowly, to stroke her cheek, and then touchedher head and I waited for her to give the go-ahead She had to be the onethe decision

After a ed, a switch had flicked Her face was aand deterround It would work for a stake

Rhia did the sa off of a downed cedar Grieve, Chatter, and Kaylin mirrored our actions and ere ready

I have your back Ulean whipped aroundthe air with her frenzy Heather must not return to Myst

I know, Ulean I know This is not easy She was…is…er but one of Myst’s witches, one of her changelings Re Heather will do what she must for Myst She is owned heart and soul by the Queen of the Indigo Court and owes no other allegiance

With Ulean playing at my back, I readied le nod froh the last strip of woodland onto the path, aiain

Heather had expected us to coave us an advantage I whippedwind knocked Heather off balance

Chatter moved forward, Rhia beside hiiven her incredible reflexes She recovered froether a pattern that I kneas so back into the snowbank as a nearby piece of wood rose and hit ht, she works with earthfrom the blow

Yes, she does, but she’s hen it coht cannot

"Please, one last ti of you, stop thisat Heather, tears racing down her face Her heart was breaking and there was nothing we could do to stop it fro all too ripe and luscious She licked her lips "My daughter My dear, deluded child I give you a chance Come withyou into our world Just think…you and I together again Working side by side, together, forever You have rediscovered your flame Think of all we could do, you and I" She held out her hand, the look on her face sure of success<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>